Netflix launches Smart Downloads

10 July 2018

The new feature will have your smartphone or tablet automatically delete an episode of a TV series once you've watched it, and quietly download the next episode of that series in the background. Netflix is "not yet sophisticated enough" to determine what movie you'll want to watch after finishing one you've downloaded, Cameron Johnson, Netflix's director of product innovation, said in a Q&A with reporters. "Today, downloads is a manual process - you have to download [TV episodes] one at a time, then delete them".

The app for both iOS and Android, however, is absolutely free, and you can grab it from the links below.

Sadly there's still no one-stop option to download an entire season of a show, so if you're stocking up on episodes for a long flight, or a trip out somewhere with poor mobile coverage, you'll still need to do it manually.

Netflix's Smart Downloads will initially only be available on Android smartphones and tablets. It doesn't use any more storage than the last episode you watched and saves you having to delete old episodes before you can download more.

After making it possible for subscribers to download content in 2016, Netflix is making its download feature "smarter" and more binge-friendly.

Netflix wants to start keeping your downloads fresh for you.

For now, the feature is limited to TV shows.

The tool, which users can turn on or off, only downloads episodes when your phone is connected to wifi (to avoid eating up customers' data plans) and there's a new episode to replace the one you've already watched. "We're taking the point of view to not be presumptuous and let people choose for themselves".